Improvement in friction-clutches for extension-chandeliers



c. T. BRUEN. V FR'IC'I ION-CLUTCHES FOR EXTENSION C HANDELIERS.

Patented J-an.11;1:876.

PETERS. FNOTOLFTHOGRAFRER, WASHINGTON, {1Q

UNITED STATES PATENT cam;

CHARLES T. BRUEN, I or new YORK, N. Y

[MPRQVEMENT IN FRlCTlON-CLUTCHES FOR EXTENSION- CHANIDELIERS Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,083, dated January 11, 1876; application filed i DecembrZS, 1875. i v

. for Exten sion-Ghandeliers, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification,

reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical central section of my clutch. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same.

Similar letters indicate correspondingparts.

My invention relates to that class of clutches for which Letters Patent of the United States were granted to myself conjointly with Edwin G. Bruen September 21,1875, numbered 167 ,984; and it consists substantially in a lifting-lever and a tubular slide, by the combined action of which the friction clamp is lifted, and the chandelier-slide is released, the lifting-lever being pivoted to a lug on the shell of the clutch, and being connected at one end to the tubular slide, in such a manner that the latter partakes of the motion of the lever. The lifting-lever is connected to the tubular slide through the medium of arms, which are provided with a screw-thread, and contain adjusting-nuts, by which latter the position of the tubular slide is regulated with respect to the friction-clamp as well as the extent to which the clamp is lifted, as hereinafter more fully set forth. The extent of motion of the liftinglever and the tubular slide is regulated, in an upper direction, by means of stops forming a part of the shell of the clutch.

In the drawing, the letter A designates the shell of my clutch, the interior surface of which tapers toward the lower end, as shown, and which contains a sectional friction-clamp, B. This clamp has a tendency to wedge itself against the inner surface of the shell A and against the chandelier-slide G, which is passed through the shell and the clamp, so as to prevent a downward movement of the slide, and the clamp is assisted in its action on the chandelier-slide by a spiral spring, D, whose diameter is such as to bear on the several parts or sections of the clamp. On the shell A is cast or secured a lug, D, to which is pivoted a lever, E. This lever E is bifurcated, and has two branches, E E", which extend partly round theshell A, as clearly seen in Fig. 3. i To the outer end of the lever is attached a cord or.

chain, a, which carries a handle, F, the object of which is to enable a person to operate said lever E with convenience while standing on the floor. The letter G designates a tubular slide, which is fittedin the bottom of the shell A, the latter being provided with an opening, 0, for this purpose, and H H are arms, by which the slide is connected to the lever E. The lower ends of these arms H H are arranged so as to carry the tubular slide G, which to thisend is provided with a flange, I, while the upper end or part of each arm is bent,-as at b, which bent part rests on the inner end of the bifurcated lever E or its branches, in such a manner that when the outer end of the lever is moved downward the arms H H and the tubular slide G are lifted, and the slide displaces the friction-clamp B, and the chandelier-slide G is free to move in a downward direction. The shell Ais provided with grooves c c, in which are situated the connecting-arms H H, and these grooves form guides for the arms in their up and down movement. In the upper end of the guide-grooves c c are arranged stops at d, which serve to limit the upward movement of the lever E, the arms H H, and

the tubular slide G-that is to say, when the parts are lifted the upper ends of the arms H H come in contact with the stops d d, and further upward movement is prevented. The stops (Z (Z are secured in the upper part of the shell A by means of a screw-thread, and hence are adjustable. If seen fit, however, the stops (1 d may be dispensed with, inasmuch as the upper ends of the. guideslots c c, whenv made of the proper length, will form the stops. The downward movement of the parts is regulated by the lug D, to which the lever E is pivoted, with the inner part of which lug the branches E E of the levercome in contact. The connecting-arms H H are provided with a screwl the clamp is'lifted by the slideis regulated in other Words, it the tubular slide is adjusted,

"soas to leave a space between it and the fricbe increased or decreased by the regulating-.

nuts J. By this dead motion the point when the tubular slide takes effect on the clamp B is readily ascertained, and the practical operation of the lever E is facilitated. At the same time, it the dead motion of the slide is increased, its effective lifting-motion on the clamp is decreased, and vice versa, the upward movement of the slide being'always limited by the stops d d, and the part of this movement during which the slide acts on the clamp being more or less.

In practice, the space which is left between the tubular slide G and the clamp B is so gaged that it the chandelier, supported by the chandelier-slide G, is heavy the clamp B is lifted to a less extent than when the chandelier is light, it being intended that the clamp B is lifted just suflicient to permit the slide 0 to move downward by the inherent gravity of the chandelier, and without the aid of any other force.

If desired, each of the parts of the .friction-clamp B may be provided with alongitud- .inal rib, and the shell A with corresponding grooves, for the purpose of guiding the-clamp in its up and down movement, and to reduce the friction between it and the shell. vantage peculiar to this arrangement, besides the guiding of the clamp, is, that the inner or concave surface of the shell and the outer or convex surface of, the clamp are both left unfinished, with the exception of the rib and 3. The stops dd, in combination with the connecting-arms H H, lifting-lever E, and

tubular slide G, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and-seal this 23d day of December, 1875. 1

O. T. BRUEN. [L. s.] Witnessesz W. HAUFF,

R0121. E. MILLER.

The ad- 

